Rescuing (rewritten)
by Fantasy1800
Summary: Disclaimer: I do not own any Bakugan. New and hopefully improved. Ren thought his teammates were gone, but they've been held captive instead. Sid manages to escape and finds Ren on Neathia. After learning the truth, Ren gets injured by Dharak. Sid no only needs to make sure Ren's well taken care of, but also save the other teammates. But will he succeed?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Fallen

POV: Sid

"You've got some nerve," Barodius pointed out, sitting on his throne. "Showing your face here after losing the Element. I have no use for fools in my inner circle."

I was taken aback by that last part. I had a big feeling that something terrible was going to happen to me. I panicked and cried out, "But Sire -"

BefBefI could finish what I was going to say, Rubanoid floated in front of me and, as he turned bright red and then into his true for, shouted at Barodius, "Are you serious? You can't disrespect us like that!"

"How dare you, insolent fool!" Gill said.

Rubanoid took a few steps towards the throne and said with a frustrated voice, "Our loyalty deserves respect. Do you hear me?"

Out of the blue, Krakix showed up behind Rubanoid and hit him in the back, causing Rubanoid to fall onto the floor with a loud bang.

Kazarina laughed, "I can use this one in my experiments." Then, the minute Kazarina lifted her hand up in front of her, Rubanoid vanished.

"Rubanoid, no!" I cried out before shutting my eyes.

"Emperor Barodius, give us another chance!" Ren pleaded, making me look up. "Grant us a pardon this time, and I promise we will take down the Brawlers. We will redeem ourselves."

"Silence!" Barodius barked, startling both me and Ren.

"Begging for your life, Ren?" I asked, smirking. "How weak and pathetic you are."

Suddenly, I felt the floor underneath me give way, like a trapdoor was opening up. I fell into the hole. I was falling so fast I didn't have enough time to grab the edge. As soon as my body was beneath the surface, I saw the trapdoor closing up.

For roughly five seconds, I was falling before I finally landed on my side with a grunt. My side really hurt, but I hoped that nothing was broken. I took in my surroundings and I realized that I'd fallen into a spacious room with a table and a trolley in the center, along with bright lights above me.

I tried to get up, but agony sparked up in my side and I instantly stumbled down.

But I wasn't going to give up. Kazarina's had said that she was planning on using Rubanoid in her experiments and Rubanoid needed my help. So, with a huge amount of effort, I painfully got up, clutching my side. I was going to find my partner.

Out of nowhere, something jagged its way into my neck. My vision became blurry - almost black. As I wobbled, I began to feel a headache growing.

Then, I stumbled. Then, everything went black.

* * *

POV:Lena

Kazarina and I had just gotten back from Neathia, and I knew that I was going to suffer for my failure. I had had my chance to retrieve the Element, and I had blown it. All because the Brawlers and the Neathians had gotten lucky, especially now that the Second Shield was regenerated.

But I was aware of what would come to pass, even as I stood on the lift while it rose to the next floor. When the lift stopped moving, I was in a massive room with dark walls the same as the rest of the castle, and a throne similar to Barodius's. In front of the throne, I spotted Kazarina.

"You summoned me, Misstress Kazarina," I said, sounding blunt.

"I don't have to tell you what an embarrassment today's events have been," Kazarina stated. "You were given a chance to redeem yourself, and you've failed _miserably._ You were warned what would happen if you didn't succeed. So do you have anything you'd like to say for yourself, Lena?"

Just then, a memory came to me. It was about the conversation Gill and I had had before me and Kazarina had departed for Neathia.

" _I like you, Lena,_ " Gill had said to me. " _You're clever, but you don't suffer from arrogance. Like the others. So I'll give you this piece of advice._ "

" _I'm listening, Sir,_ " I had said.

" _I hear you're going on a mission with Kazarina_."

" _Yes._ "

" _You would be wise to watch your back around her. She is loyal to no one but herself, and would think nothing of sacrificing one of her subordinates to save her own skin._ " Then, almost as soon as he had stopped speaking, he'd grinned. Like Gill had wanted something to happen to Kazarina.

Regardless, I'd already had a feeling in my gut that Kazarina couldn't be trusted with anything. As well as I'd trusted my own instincts, I'd said, " _Yes, Sir. I understand._ "

The memory finished, and then I heard Phosphos cackling as he jumped into the air. Kazarina cackled, too, looking up at Phosphos heading towards her. I was expecting her to be scared. It was almost as if she'd known about my plan to finish her off.

Suddenly, a roar forced Phosphos's laughing to come to a halt, making me gasp as I watched Lumagrowl pushing Phosphos away. Phosphos cried out in pain as Lumagrowl tightened his jaw on his shoulder. I guessed it was so tight that it caused Phosphos to return to his ball form.

Lumagrowl landed on his feet, shaking the entire room, and then Kazarina pointed out, "You've got some nerve, Lena." I turned back to Kazarina, and took a step back while Lumagrowl roared behind me. "Trying to take me out to cover your own blunder. How bold of you." Kazarina raised her hand in front of her. "But also very, very foolish!"

Blue electricity zapped all over Kazarina's hand. My eyes widened at the sight of it. This was it. My punishment was coming. All I could do was stand there, literally scared to death. Kazarina grinned before the electricity spreaded, blinding me as it transformed into a white light.

Everything vanished...

* * *

POV: Jesse

Everything was dark when I stood in the center of the coliseum. Two lights suddenly shone above me. Besides the fact that the curtain was about to fall one last time, I actually felt calm to be in the spotlight. The rest of the lights came on, showing the whole coliseum. Kazarina, Stoica and Ren were in the stands.

"Have you finally accepted your fate, Jesse?" Kazarina asked.

"Or do you need to rack up another colossal failure for it to sink in?" Stoica added.

"Nice work on the retrieval, Ren," Kazarina commented.

"In fairness," I heard Ren say, "I was also involved in the battle that was lost."

" Well, I'll let you share that information with Emperor Barodius in person." Then, I heard Ren growl under his breath at what Kazarina had just said. It was like Ren wanted to take the blame, too. Granted I knew that Ren felt guilty, especially from the losses of Sid and Lena. But this was my time. Not his.

"So are you two ready to pay the piper?" Stoica asked.

"It is you who needs to be ready," I said, opening my eyes before raising my arm up, "to bid adieu to Gundalia's finest actor." All three of them had confused looks on their faces, but I continued. "The applause has finally faded, and the curtain has dropped. There are no more encores to be had on this stage or any other. So now the actor takes his final bow."

"Ha, are you serious?" Stoica asked with an incredulous voice. "Do we really have to listen to this?"

"Now you know how I feel!" Plitheon shouted, turning bright green and then into his real form. "I can't take any more of this. I'm ready to go now. _Anything_ to get away from this weirdo!"

"Plitheon?" I asked, completely stunned at Plitheon's words.

"Finally at a loss for words, Jesse?" Plitheon asked me while looking at me from the corner of his eye. "What a shock!"

There was a moment of silence until, out of nowhere, Lumagrowl and Lythirus struck Plitheon, making me gasp.

"Turning on your battle partner, Plitheon? You truly are despicable," Lumagrowl remarked.

Lythirus chuckled maniacally. "Lower than scum!"

Lumagrowl and Lythirus released Plitheon, then I said, "Plitheon, it's okay. Sometimes, co-stars have friction between them. It's a natural part of the relationship." I held out my hand to Plitheon.

"I meant what I said," Plitheon declared. "Call what you want, but I'm done with this guy!" I spotted a twinkle in Plitheon's eye before he turned green and gradually disappeared into thin air.

"Ren," I called out, looking at my friend/teammate. "It looks like the spotlight has shifted to you now."

I set down my book in front of me, and took my final bow.

"Farewell," I heard Ren say.

I screamed as the curtain painfully fell...

* * *

POV: Zenet

I'd spoken to Kazarina, disguised as Nurzak. After I'd done my task in being sneaky, I told Gill about what I'd learnt - that Nurzak and Kazarina were planning on overthrowing the Emperor.

"You have done very well, Zenet," Gill commented.

"Thank you," I said, smiling. "I'm totally ready for my next assignment, Sir!"

Gill raised his hand and grinned viciously. My good eye widened before red electricity surged from his hand and zapped me.

 _'I... I don't understand,'_ I thought. _'You said I did well. Why are you punishing me?!'_

 _..._

I felt like I was floating in an unfamiliar environment. Maybe I was, given the fact that I'd just been punished. Which meant that I was long gone.

I began to whimper.

"Zenet," a voice called out to me as I opened my eye.

"Contestir." I held out my hands while he floated towards me.

Once Contestir had landed on my palms, he briefly pointed out, "They betrayed us."

"I told you," I whimpered. "Tha-that Gundalians don't do loyalty. Remember?"

"That's not always true, Zenet." I stared at Contestir, confused. He continued, "You and I were loyal to each other. We were real partners."

I smiled. "Wow, man. You're totally right. We really were partners." I started to let a tear fall down my cheek. "Contestir?"

"Yes, Zenet? What is it?"

"I'm sorry that it took so long to realize that," I said as I put myself into a fetal position, holding Contestir close to my chest.

"It's okay," Contestir said. "Better late than never."

I made a small, happy laugh before closing my eye for the final time. Then, Contestir laughed.

"Goodnight and sweet dreams," I said happily, even though I felt myself fading away. "Partner."

Fading until...

It was over...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Escape

POV: Sid

I couldn't move.

Everything was dark... and cold.

My feet weren't touching the ground. It was as if I were floating.

My mind...

...

I wanted to wake up. But I felt completely drained. I...

...

Something started in my body. I didn't know what. It was like a feeling that was trying to get me out of this dark and cold state.

Somehow, I let the feeling get to me as I stirred a little and then opened my eyes. Some liquid got into my eyes, but I could still see fine through it.

 _'Ugh, my head's killing me,'_ I thought, looking from the corner of my eye. On my right, I spotted Zenet in some sort of green stasis tube, unconscious with wires attached to her body. As I turned my gaze to the left, I noticed Lena and Jesse floating unconsciously in similar stasis tunes, also with wires attached to them. _'What happened to me?'_

Fragments of memories flashed up in my mind. Rubanoid being knocked down to the ground, a trapdoor opening, me falling down...

I suddenly jerked, wide awake the minute the flashbacks ended. I swum up to the surface of the stasis tube, wires falling off of my body. When my hands touched the lid of the stasis tube, I tried to push it up. It didn't budge. I was losing my breath so quickly that I started to panic. I rushed my hands all over the base of the lid and I came across a pipe. I gripped it and it turned slightly. It was difficult being submerged in liquid while trying to turn the pipe, but I managed.

I pushed the lid up and rose to the surface. I took several big breaths, my vision gradually clearing. I then lifted myself up over the edge of the stasis tube and landed on the floor, completely drenched. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was in a small dark room that was about half the size of the throne room. It was probably a lab, giving the state I'd been in. My teammates still looked out of it. Whatever liquid I'd just been in - or whatever had been transfusing through the wires - really took them in a deep slumber. Why I'd been the only one to wake up, I had no idea.

As I looked around, I almost instantly noticed Rubanoid in a little stasis lock and grabbed him. I had to get out. So I ran out of the room and down the corridor. I wanted to free my teammates, but I knew that it would be risky, especially since I didn't know how and that time was precious. I hoped that they would forgive me.

I stopped running when I saw two guards at the end of the corridor. Luckily, their backs were turned. But it was more fortunate when this corridor broke into two. So, this time, I walked quietly but quickly down the other corridor, not wanting to attract the guards' attention.

Suddenly, lights flashed at the right side of the corridor and I could had sworn I heard a voice. It sounded like Kazarina's. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I didn't care. All I cared about was getting out. "Please, don't let her spot me," I said to myself as I carried on walking.

I spotted a small window and walked up to it. Once I got close to the window, I slowly peeked through it, wanting to see if it was safe to continue down the corridor. The witch's back was turned. It seemed as though Kazarina was completely focused on her experiments. I had no idea what she was working on, but I didn't want to find out. This was my first chance to escape. So I ran past the window and a few more and kept on running.

The floor became diagonal, like a steep hill. And the corridor kept going around in circles. But the good news was that I was getting far and far away from that witch and her lab.

Finally, there were doors at the end, and when I was near enough to the doors, they slid open. I entered another corridor. Oh great. It was either left or right. I had had never been to Kazarina's lab before, so I had no clue as to which area of the castle I was in or where I was going.

For some reason, my instincts were telling me to go right. At the same time, I had a bad feeling about it. As if there was trouble brewing. Then again, I'd just gotten out of trouble of being a some sort of lab rat. Plus, Rubanoid and I had had been through tough times together and we would will get out of this. I decided to go right.

As I ran down the corridor, I began panting, so I stopped next to a wall to catch my breath.

"Attention, all personnel," rang a voice over an intercom. "Attention, all personnel! Report to transport ships immediately! Repeat: Report to transport ships immediately!"

I stuck my head out from behind a corner a bit to see if the coast was clear for me to carry on. I saw a group of soldiers heading my way, making me pull my head back and press my back against the wall. I hoped they hadn't seen me.

A familiar figure rushed right past me, followed by the soldiers. I gritted my teeth as they sprinted down the rest of the corridor.

Once they were gone, I said to myself, "Ren..."

Honestly, despite the fact that Ren had always been the Emperor's favourite subject, I wasn't expecting him to still be working for the Emperor. Especially not after what the Twelve Orders had done to us. Why was Ren still doing this? What was it that was persuading him to keep going? And, more importantly, why was the Emperor so interested in Ren?

These were the questions that I wanted answered. But first things first, I needed to get out. It seemed that Ren and the soldiers were heading for the transport ships, presumably to Neathia.

A plan formed in my mind. I decided to sprint down the corridor, catching up to Ren and the soldiers. I managed to keep up, but I remained behind them, following them in hot pursuit. I heard doors whirring open ahead, and we went through.

We entered some kind of battle arena, which was situated outside and in the centre was a gigantic and black transport ship. There were more soldiers waiting on the ramp, facing straight ahead.

I quickly turned left and hid behind a crate. I was only just lucky that no one saw me. Regardless, I needed to not only focus on luck, but also the fact I had to get on the ship. But how to get on without getting caught was a big issue.

I looked around, desperate to find a solution. And then, a sign on the crate behind me caught my eye.

ARMOUR AND WEAPONRY.

I grinned at the sign and whispered, "Score."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Eavesdropping

POV: Ren

We had been planning on arriving at dawn and it was almost time now. Once we rallied the troops, I took my position next to Gill as the three transport ships, including the one Gill and I were in, rose in the air. All three of the ships flew forward for about ten feet before zooming into a dimension hole.

We showed up on Neathia just as the sun was rising. I could see the Brawlers and the Neathian soldiers further in distance, ready to defend the Second Shield.

"Linehalt, are you ready?" I asked my partner.

"Yes," he replied.

"Just remember all the reasons we fight."

"So that we may learn what the Forbidden Power is."

I nodded in agreement. "And so that we will never have to live in Darkness again."

"Let's go!" Linehalt and I said in unison.

* * *

POV: Kazarina

The upgrades were almost complete when the lights surrounding Exodor suddenly stopped flashing. This had often happened throughout the process, so I already knew that the equipment I was using for the upgrades just needed more energy. Not normal energy, though. Energy that was being drained from the four captive Minor Twelve Orders.

I walked towards the computer and pressed several buttons to show me the screen which featured each of the four Minor Twelve Orders' DNA in actual Gundalian DNA chains. Each of these chains were accompanied by the names of the Minor Twelve Orders.

"How strange," I said, my eyes narrowing at what I was seeing. The screen seemed to show only three DNA chains, along with three names: Lena Isis, Jesse Glenn and Zenet Surrow. I closed the screen and pressed the buttons that had taken me to the same screen. It was still showing only three DNA chains. Not four. "Where is Sid's DNA?"

I had a feeling that something had happened in one of the stasis tubes in the other part of my lab. That feeling increased as I pressed more buttons.

There was a hidden camera in there, which had been eyeing the stasis tubes, particularly the captive test subjects. When the screen for the camera eventually came up on the computer, I became shocked at what I was observing.

"How did he escape?" I exclaimed as I stared at the empty stasis tube that had contained the Pyrus battler.

I called a Gundalian soldier on my computer. "Search for Sid Arkale. Now!"

* * *

POV: Sid

All of the Gundalian soldiers were using their Bakugans against the Neathians. Unless I wanted my cover to be blown, I couldn't use Rubanoid. I was only lucky with this Gundalian soldier armour I was wearing. Fortunately, I managed to sneak away from the battle just by hiding behind rocks and running. I wasn't a coward, but I wasn't willing to risk taking part in the battle.

When I finally came to a spot where no soldier or Neathian was to be seen, I sat down next to a boulder that was close to a rocky wall. I hadn't had the chance to check on Rubanoid as I'd been really busy escaping. So I held Rubanoid out and asked, "Rubanoid, are you okay?"

Rubanoid opened up. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. We got lucky, didn't we?"

"Yeah, we did," I replied and then looked around. "I wish I knew where to go next."

"Maybe we -" Rubanoid began before a scream cut him off.

"Ren!" I heard a voice cry out in worry. It sounded like Linehalt. I crawled towards the edge of the cliff, not wanting to be spotted, and saw Ren grasping his head, like he was in pain. I also saw Linehalt and Drago in their real forms, along with Dan standing on a cliff opposite from the one Ren stood on.

"I won't go back to living in the Darkness!" Ren shouted.

 _'Darkness? The underground place back on Gundalia?'_ I thought. _'Ren grew up there? Could that be the reason why he's fighting for the Emperor?'_

"But Barodius put you there in the first place," Dan cried out. "Join us, Ren! Please!"

Ren looked up, before hanging his head. He said something, but I couldn't make out the words because of the far distance between us. Although, I thought I heard Ren say something like "I must honour their memories".

 _'Who was Ren talking about?'_ I thought, puzzled. _'About us?'_

"Let's leave the Darkness for good, Linehalt!" Ren yelled.

"Yes," Linehalt replied, rolling to the side. He grabbed the Megablaster and then aimed it straight at Dan.

"Oh, snap," Dan exclaimed.

"You are done!" Ren yelled before the Megablaster emitted a purple balst towards Dan.

"Dan!" Drago yelled and then jumped in front of Dan, allowing the blast to hit him in the back.

"Drago!" Dan cried out.

Drago toppled over, but managed to keep his balance with his hands on the ground. "I'm okay," he said, "but we need to take these guys down."

"I know, pal," Dan said. "And I think I've got just the right tool."

I knew Ren was a strong battler, but, from my experience in battle against Dan and Drago, I also knew that Ren needed some back-up. Especially since Dan and Drago had some "tool" that could be too much for Linehalt to take alone. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked Rubanoid.

"Let's do this," Rubanoid said, glowing bright red before turning into his true form.

"Ability activate! Volting Vibra!" Ren cried out as Linehalt sent out purple lightning bolts at Drago.

"No way," Dan said. "Ability activate! Blaze Reflector!" Just then, a red shield formed around Drago, protecting him from the lightning bolts and then turned them back at Linehalt. Ren raised his arm up in front of his face, shielding his eyes from the flying dust. It looked like this was my chance. "You like that one, huh?"

Dan pulled out a card, and so did I. We both simultaneously shouted, "Ability -"

"- activate! Corundum Tusk!" I continued, cutting Dan off. Rubanoid created red pallets and struck Drago.

"What?" Dan exclaimed with surprise and confusion in his voice.

"Rubanoid? But how?" Ren asked, sounding utterly shocked, as I walked out from behind Rubanoid.

"No time for chit-chat, buddy," I said. "We're in the middle of a battle. Let's go. Ability activate! Scarlet Plate!" Red plates flew from Rubanoid's wings over to Drago. They surrounded Drago and emitted a blast, making him scream in agony. I looked back at Ren. "Hey, how about a little help here, huh? Ren?" I noticed how bewildered Ren looked. I figured that he was wondering how I knew his name. I smiled, then placed my hands on my helmet and removed it.

"Sid?" Ren astonishingly asked when he saw my face.

I threw away the helmet before asking with a smile, "Who else?"

Ren smiled back, and then glared daggers at Dan and Drago.

It was time to finish the battle.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Looking for Answers

POV: Ren

"Ability activate! Razen Breaker!"

"Drago, fire up the Blaze Reflector now!" Dan cried out. Drago's shield surrounded his body, blocking Linehalt's attack of purple lightning bolts.

"Your puny, little shield won't work," laughed Sid. He held out his hand and red electricity sparked from it, creating Sid's Battle Gear. "Battle Gear boost!"

As Sid threw his Battle Gear, my thoughts were clouded with questions, along with amazement and confusion. I still couldn't believe that Sid had been alive the whole the time and I had never known about it. Why hadn't anyone told me? What had been happening? And, more importantly , since Sid was alive, did that mean that the others were alive, too? If so, then where were they?

"Battle Gear Ability activate! Destrakon Gear Brinel!"

Sid's yell broke me out of my thoughts before red blasts shot out of the mouths of Rubanoid's heads. My questions had to be answered, but I just couldn't think about them and concentrate on the battle simultaneously. I knew would tell me everything, but for now, I had to focus on the battle.

* * *

POV: Kazarina

"How did he escape?!" I yelled. "They were all in a deep slumber because of the sleeping chemical I created. So how did he manage to wake up?"

I couldn't understand it. I kept pressing this and that, trying to find answers. The chemical had been strong enough to force the others teammates to remain unconscious. So what had made Sid wake up? Was there something in his DNA that repelled the chemical? If so, then I had to figure what in order to make the chemical stronger. I needed answers. Exodor's upgrades needed to completed, but I couldn't finish with only three Minor Twelve Orders members. I needed all four.

* * *

POV: Lena

So... dark. And... cold.

...

Something felt lethal... And yet, it felt like I was still living...

It was like an energy... It...

It grew and grew... until a voice in my head was telling me to release it.

* * *

POV: Kazarina

Nothing. There was nothing I could find. Not a single clue.

Because there was only three captive teammates, this process for Exodor's upgrades was going to take longer than I'd planned. So, I guessed that I had to work with what I had. I pressed several buttons to drain more energy from the remaining members.

Suddenly, one of the red and blue DNA chains on the screen began changing to a dark grey colour. This DNA chain belonged to Lena Isis. I quickly clicked on Lena's DNA chain and zoomed in to examine it. There were small orange particles - the sleeping chemical I'd created - and a vast amount of the dark grey colour. The greyness was getting larger and larger by the second. It was destroying the chemical!

I couldn't let that happen. I rapidly pressed a different set of buttons and then flicked a green switch.

A new green substance appeared on the screen and met the greyness. But it couldn't get passed. It -

Wait. It started to cover the greyness. It was consuming it!

The greyness was finally gone.

I flicked another green switch that released my chemical from a tube hidden in the lid of Lena's stasis tube - each of the stasis tube had one tube of my chemical - and it flowed through Lena's wires.

* * *

POV: Lena

This energy so quite intense, I could just let it escape. It felt strong. And it felt like it was fighting something. Something that was keeping me in whatever state I was in. I needed to keep this energy up. I needed to keep fighting.

Suddenly, the energy got weaker and weaker. What was... happening?

 _'Come back,'_ I thought as the energy was disappearing. _'Come... back...'_

Gone.

* * *

POV: Gill

For the past few hours, I'd been trying to pinpoint Sid's location by tracking Rubanoid's teleportation. And I finally found them. They were on Neathia.

I walked into the throne room and said to the Emperor, "I found Sid and Rubanoid, Sire. They're on Neathia."

"Very well, Gill," Barodius said. "Nice work. Dharak?"

"Yes, Master Barodius?" Dharak asked, floating to the side of Barodius's head.

"I need you to teleport to Neathia and get rid of Sid and Rubanoid. At any cost."

"Consider it done," Dharak said without any hesitation.

* * *

POV: Ren

"Sid," I said, walking up towards my teammate whom I had thought was dead. I knew he was actually standing in front of me, but a small part of me figured he was nothing but an illusion. I stopped beside Sid. "I thought you were..."

"Huh? No way, dude," Sid said, knowing what I was going to say but didn't. "The others are still around, too, but they're all bottled up right now."

"They're... still alive?"

"Yup," Sid replied.

I smiled at that, glad that my friends are still alive. "That's great!"

Sid suddenly looked up and then straight back at me. "Look out!" Sid cried out, tackling me out of the way of something. I caught a glimpse of a black and purple blast coming towards us. It hit the ground, causing us to fall several feet away.

"What was that?" I heard Dan shout. I saw a black and purple dragon-like bakugan floating in the sky. "Is that –?"

"Dharak!" Drago finished Dan's question with a sense of shock in his voice.

"Insolent fool," Dharak said. "How dare you try to escape!"

"You okay?" Sid asked, helping me to my feet.

"Still in one piece," I replied.

Dharak suddenly shot more energy blasts at us, leaving us no time to teleport out of here. Sid and I ran and ran, dodging the blasts along the way.

I noticed that we were getting close to one, so, without thinking, I nudged Sid away before it made impact. The blast landed right next to me and I ended up flying through the air. Pain exploded in the back of my head.

Blackout.

* * *

POV: Sid

Ren nudged me out of the way of an incoming blast and he flew through the air, right into a rocky cliff.

"Ren!" Dan and I shouted as he fell onto his side, completely out cold from the blow in his head. His clothes were ripped in so many places because of the impact. His left sleeve was missing, as well as the bottom half of his other one. There were holes in his grey slacks and there were torn flaps on the front of his black shirt. And even though I was around twenty feet away, I could see the bruises and cuts on his pale grey skin.

I rushed towards my unconscious teammate and quickly wrapped my hand around Ren's wrist. "Rubanoid," I said to my partner bakugan in my other hand. "Teleport us. Hurry!"

"Say no more!" Rubanoid said.

"A prisoner who escaped and Barodius's loyal subject," Dharak said. "No matter. Barodius is through with both of you!" Dharak was ready and poised to strike as he shot one final blast to finish us off.

Rubanoid lit up bright red and I managed to glance at Dan's worried face across the canyon. Then, Rubanoid teleported us away before we could get blown up by Dharak.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Help

POV: Sid

We successfully teleported to Bakugan Interspace, into the control room, which was still dark. Exactly like the last time I'd seen it. Although, the last I'd been here, the computer in the centre of the room had been the only light source. The room was dark, but it wasn't dark enough so I could still see clearly. I wasn't sure how long I'd been in Kazarina's lab along with the others, but it felt like it had been a few weeks. It also felt strange being back here, as if I just ended up in an area in which I'd never thought I'd return to.

That didn't matter. What mattered at the moment was making sure that Ren was alright.

I looked at Ren. He was still knocked-out from the blow in his head. I needed to know if he was still alive. I gently shook his shoulder, not wanting to make his injuries worse. "Ren," I said. "Wake up!"

There was no movement.

"Ren, can you hear me?" I asked a little louder. "Wake up!"

Ren's fingers twitched a bit and he slowly opened his eyes, groaning as he slightly turned his head to look at me. He mouth opened and closed, and it kept going with gasps of breaths in between. It was like he was trying to say something, but was also finding it difficult to do so.

"Don't talk," I said before I turned Ren's body so that he was lying on his back. I hoped that it would help him a bit with his breathing. Ren wheezed something that sounded like a word, but I couldn't make it out. "What?"

"H-help," he repeated, the word sounding like an exhale. "Please."

Ren shut his eyes.

"Ren? Ren!" I said with fear in my voice. I decided to try waking him up again. I hit his left cheek three times with the palm of my hand. "Wake up!"

Ren didn't move.

Panic increased as I placed the side of my head on Ren's chest and waited for a heartbeat. I heard his heart thumping, and I exhaled a breath that I didn't know I was holding. At least Ren was still alive.

I knew where the medical room was in Bakugan Interspace and that was where I planned to take Ren. I slid my left arm under Ren's back and carefully lifted his torso up, his head lolling back. I then placed my other arm under Ren's legs and scooped him up, cautious not hurt him even more than he was.

I carried Ren out of the control room, determined to help my teammate out.

* * *

POV: Dharak

"Are you out of your mind, Dharak?" Barodius asked.

"No, Barodius," I replied, not getting what he was upset about. "You and I both know that Ren was nothing but a puppet serving you – all because of a dream about freedom. So why do we still need him, may I ask?"

"Because he can get the Brawlers and the Neathians out of the way, fool. With him, I'll be able to get past the Shields without having to deal with those insects. You and I are strong, but your upgrades aren't ready yet. And the Brawlers are getting better with their battling skills the more they fight us. We need Ren and Linehalt in order for us to take control of the Sacred Orb. It was all going according to plan, and you tried to get rid of him earlier than we planned."

"I understand, Barodius," I said, knowing how useless that sounded.

"I don't need your understanding, Dharak," Barodius said. "Go arrange a group of soldiers to search the entire palace for Ren. And tell them to head to Earth and investigate Bakugan Interspace, as well."

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

POV: Sid

The door at the end of the corridor slid open when I went near it, and I walked into the medical room. There wasn't much in the room, except a white metal bed, with a table at the foot, in the left corner and a metal shelf hanging on the wall on the right.

I took a quick look at Ren, before setting him down on the bed. He was still out, but, regardless, alive. I lifted Ren's head and then slowly turned it so that he was facing the wall. One good thing about Ren's hair was that it was silver, so I could easily spot blue-grey bruise on the back of his head. Also, Ren's horned crest was cracked a little; it was a miracle he was still alive from the blast. I hoped it wasn't lethal.

I then moved on to examine the cuts and bruises on the rest of Ren's body. They were mostly small and they didn't look that bad. But there were slightly bigger cuts, shown because of the flaps on his shirt and the holes in his slacks, on his chest, stomach and legs. Even if I'd moved Ren to check his back - which I didn't plan to do at the moment just in case there were a few broken bones I wasn't aware of - I was really sure that there were bruises and cuts there, judging by how hard Ren hit the cliff. They still didn't seem so bad, from what I saw.

But, however small the bruises and the cuts were, Ren's injuries would only get worse - especially his head. I walked towards the metal shelf and searched it until I found some cloth, a roll of bandages, a box of plasters, a pair of scissors, and a bottle of disinfectant. "Bingo," I said.

BANG!

I jumped a little at the noise, nearly dropping everything. The noise came from behind the door. Unfortunately, Ren would have to wait. I had to check what had happened. I set the things onto the table and then moved slowly and quietly towards the door, not wanting to make a sound. It was easier said than done; the armour I was wearing wasn't really loud, but it wasn't made for stealth. The door slid open and there was...

Nothing. The hall was empty. Whoever - or whatever - had made that noise had probably left.

But I wasn't taking any chances. I walked into the corridor, the door sliding behind me. As I walked further down the corridor, no more sounds were made except the light clatter of my armour. I began to wonder if there had been anything.

I figured that I should head back. If there would be any more sounds, then I would check again. But, for now, Ren needed help. I walked back down the corridor and, as I reached the end, the door slid open.

And, suddenly, I spotted a little human girl with her tiny hand under Ren's head. The girl was wearing a plain white T-Shirt and pale blue jeans, and she had shoulder-length copper blonde hair and big azure eyes. I quickly transformed into my human form and asked the girl, "What are you doing?"

"No need to hide your form," she said instead, her voice sounding a bit high. It wasn't surprising since she looked somewhere between 10 and her early teens.

"You're not answering my question," I said.

"Don't worry, Sid. I want to help," she replied. "The ice will help your friend's head. The rest is up to you now."

"What are y-" I started to ask when confusion stopped me. "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"You'll find out later on," she replied cryptically. "Like I said, you don't have to hide your form. I know your secret."

Out of nowhere, the girl turned white and vanished into thin air.

I rushed towards Ren, carefully turned his head - it had been turned so that he was facing the ceiling - and went to examine the bruise. There was some sort of white patch covering the bruise. It was taped on. I took it off Ren's head to have a look at it. There was a bulge on one side, whereas the other side was flat. I removed one of my gauntlets and had a feel of it.

It was... cold. Could there be ice inside the patch like the girl had said? She had probably been telling the truth.

But, then again, it could be something else. I didn't want Ren to suffer from whatever this thing was.

I knew she looked like a little human girl, but looks could be deceiving. She was probably somebody else in disguise. Maybe, someone from Gundalia had hired her to look for us, pretending to be a different person. That could be how she had known who I was.

But if that were true, then why had she helped Ren and had told me to take care of the rest? Why hadn't she taken us with her to Gundalia (if that was where she had come from)? She was probably on our side.

This was ice-cold, so I guessed that the "ice" part was true. And the girl said she had wanted to help. I decided to take the risk and put the patch back on the bruise. I didn't want to regret it, so it had to help.

I couldn't stop wondering the same questions over and over again: Who was that girl? How did she know about me?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Guilt

POV: ?

I vanished into thin air and ended up within five feet in front of a lit fireplace inside a dark room. The crackling flames always made my skin burn, but I honestly didn't mind the warmth. Who would mind? The fire really brightened up the gloominess of the room; the two beige couches came into view, and so did the brown wooden table in the centre on a black carpet. All the photos on top of the mantel piece were being illuminated by the light.

I walked closer towards the fireplace, careful not to let the dancing flames touch my skin. I took one of the photos and stared at it. The photo was of a woman with her long raven hair billowing behind her, and her emerald-green eyes shining in the sunlight. The woman in the photo stood next to a heavily-built, blond man. He had light grey skin with grey-blue markings, and a yellow horned crest on his head.

"You look so much like him," I whispered.

* * *

POV: Sid

I hadn't planned to lift Ren slightly so that I could remove his shirt and turn him in order to get a better look at the cuts, including the smaller ones on his back. I didn't want to hurt him, but I had no choice; I had to check his injuries, as well as treat them. I poured some disinfectant on a piece of cloth and used it on the cuts on his back. I heard Ren quietly groaning as the disinfectant immediately took effect.

Then, after putting plasters on some of the cuts on Ren's back, I moved on to the wounds on his chest, stomach and legs, since they had bigger cuts than the rest. After cleaning the wounds, I bandaged them. The bruises and the cuts would heal, but they would have to be checked once in a while.

I put Ren's shirt back on him and placed a white cover over him. I decided to wrap a bandage around Ren's head in order to hold the patch that contained ice. It seemed like a good idea. After that, I just stood near the doorway, keeping an eye on Ren. I quietly stood there for roughly 10 minutes, waiting.

"What do you think will happen now?" Rubanoid asked.

I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet. "I think we should stay and watch over Ren for a while," I replied, turning face Rubanoid. "Then we'll get the others."

"How will we get the others?"

"I don't know. We could teleport into Kazarina's lab and then release them."

"No, it's a bit risky," Rubanoid said. "Because, as you know, Kazarina's mostly in her lab, so she could be there."

"Her lab has separate rooms," I explained, "and I heard that she's currently working on something for the Emperor. Not sure what, but she couldn't possibly be in the room where the team is. Or at least, not all the time."

"True, but no one should underestimate her," Rubanoid pointed out.

"I know," I said. "Well, I guess we could teleport somewhere else and then sneak past the soldiers until we reach Kazarina's lab."

"We could do that," Rubanoid agreed. "But what Kazarina stops us from freeing the others?"

"I'm not sure," I answered, "but let's worry about that part of the plan when we get there."

"Hopefully that won't be a problem."

"It won't," I said, resuming my watch over Ren.

Somehow, seeing Ren like this with all the wounds, I couldn't help but feel like Ren was wounded because of me. The Brawlers had got the Element back and it was because of my act to score some "brownie points". I had become a lab rat, along with my other teammates. If I hadn't lost the Element, things would have been different. The team wouldn't be in the lab and Ren wouldn't have gotten hurt.

I had once called Ren weak and pathetic, but I could see now why he had been fighting. To stay out of the Darkness.


End file.
